Extract of a Letter from Capt. Wm. off in the best manner they could. Had our difabled' ftate been fuch as to have permitted us to have purfued, the bad condition of the Crefcent and Caftor (both of which hips made between four and five feet water an hour) would have rendered such a step unjustifiable. The fteady and refolute behaviour of my officers and crew on this occafion, merits my warmeft praise and admiration; and I hope will recommend them to their lordfhips favour. N May 29th, discovering two Dutch frigates, we (the Flora and Crefcent) prepared for immediate action; but the wind increafing to a ftorm, obliged us to wait a more favourable opportunity. At feven in the evening the gale abated, and the next morning the fea was confiderably fallen. Having kept the enemy in fight all night, at day break we edged towards them, and at five commenced the action, ship against fhip, within a cable's length of each other, which was continued without intermiffion for two hours and a quarter, when our adverfary ftruck her colours. She proved them of every means of refifted to be the Caftor frigate, of Rotterdam, commanded by Captain Pieter Melvill, mounting 26 twelve and 10 fix-pounders; her complement confifting of 230 men. The action between the Crefcent and Brill, a frigate of the fame rate as the Caftor, mounting 26 twelve, 2 fix, and 8 four pounderers, continued fome minutes longer; when an unlucky fhot carrying away the main and mizen mafts of the Crefcent, and the wreck falling within board, whereby her guns were rendered useless and the fhip ungovernable, Capt. Pakenham was reduced to the difagreeable neceffity of ftriking the king's colours. Seeing her fituation, we, with great difficulty, got our fhip's head towards her, and by that means prevented the enemy taking poffeffion of her, who made It would be doing injuftice to the merit of Captain Pakenham, his officers, and fhip's company, if I concluded my letter without acknowledging they did as much as men could do to fupport the dignity of the British flag, till that unfortunate accident, which depriv ance, and the fuccefs that would otherwife have attended. The Brill muft have received confiderable damage from the Crefcent; her main-maft was feen to go by the board early in the after noon. I beg you will acquaint their lordships, that I took upon me to recommiffion his majesty's fhip the Crefcent, and appoined my first lieutenant, Mr. John Bligh, to the command of her; reinftating the reft of the officers; and that Lieutenant Ellery, fecond lieut. of the faid fhip, having fince died of the wounds he received in action, I have appointed Mr. Peter Creed, Mafter of the Flora, whom I ftrongly recommended to their lordships for promotion, after the action with the Nymph, to fucceed him; which steps I hope their lordships will approve. In my I am forry to add to this letter a circumftance which gives me infinite concern. As foon as the damages of the three fhips were repaired in the belt manner we were able, which employed us five days, we proceeded on our paflage without interruption, till the 19th inft. when early in the morning, in lat. 47. N. long. 6. 30. W. being in chace of a privateer brig, which had dogged us all night, and part of the preceding day, I difcovered, upon the clearing away of a fquall, two fhips to windward, edging towards me; upon which I veered ship, and returned to the Crefcent and Caftor, flattering myself the appearance of our force Each fhip therefore shaped a different courfe, and about one o'clock P. M. I had the mortification to fee the Caftor retaken by one of the frigates, which fired a gun, and hoifted French colours, though till that moment they had chafed under English. The other frigate, not being able to come up with the Flora, bore away about three o'clock, after the Crefcent, and, as the night was clear, I am apprehenfive the fared the fame fate as the Caftor. When their lordships reflect how reduced the complement of his majefty's fhips were by the lofs of the killed and wounded, and from the number of men fent on board the prize, viz. 38 from the Flora, and nearly the fame number from the Crefcent (which men were conftantly employed at the pumps to keep the fhip free), I flatter myself they will acquit me of having acted improperly on this occafion, N. B. The Flora had 36 guns, and 270 men; the Crescent 28 guns, and 200 men. Admiralty Office, Sept. 18, 1781. Extract of a Letter from Captain Curtis to Mr. Stephens, dated Brilliant, Gibraltar, Auguft 7, 1781. united would check the ardour I of their purfuit: but in this I was miftaken; they ftill continued the chafe, encouraged, I have no doubt, by the difabled appearance of my conforts, and gained upon us very faft. Confcious of our actual want of ftrength, I did not think it advifeable to hazard an action, and my officers were unanimoufly of the fame opinion. BEG you will be pleased to acquaint my lords commiffioners, that his majefty's floop Helena ar rived here this morning. Her approach was discovered by the enemy and us at the fame time, about five o'clock. She was in the Gut, to the fouthward of Cabarita Point, and nearly a third of the way over from it towards Europa. It was perfectly calm, and the Helena Helena was rowing for the Rock. I immediately took the Repulfe and Vanguard gun-boats, with all the boats of the fhips, and went for her as expeditioufly as poffible. Fourteen gun-boats of the enemy, carrying each one 26pounder in the bow, moved alfo from Algeziras, accompanied by feveral launches. Thefe boats got on fafter than I could proceed with the Repulfe and Vanguard, and before eight o'clock thofe of them the most advanced commenced their fire upon the Helena, being then within half gunfhot. She returned it with great deliberation and effect, but fill continuing to ufe her oars. The greater part of the gun-boats were foon clofe to her, and the clouds of grape and other fhot, that feemed almoft to bury her, were really aftonishing. However, the did not, without fome aid, bear long this very unequal combat. The Repulfe and Vanguard began a welldirected fire upon the enemy, being fo placed as was deemed the most efficacious to cover the Helena, and to annoy them. The commencement of the fea-breeze having got to the Helena, the foon reached us, the enemy ftill perfevering in their attempt upon her; fome of them firing at her broadfide, and others keeping aftern, raking her. However, the fteadiness and bravery exhibited on board the Helena, and the wellapplied grape from the Repulfe and Vanguard, very foon made feveral of them retire; and they all fled by ten o'clock, allowing us to tow the Helena into the Mole without farther moleftation. A xebec, mounting between twenty and thirty guns, which was lying near to Cabarita Point, got under way when the breeze came, and advanced to join the gun-boats; but, upon feeing them retire, the retired alfo. The mafts, fails, rigging, and furniture of the Helena are cut all to pieces, and the hull a good deal damaged; but it is wonderful, as it is fortunate, the boatswain was the only man who was killed on board her. The bravery, the coolnefs, and the judicious conduct of Captain. Roberts, do him infinite honour: his officers and men deferve the highest commendation. * Captain Roberts was firft Lieutenant of the Quebeck with Capt. Farmer, when the was burnt in the action with the Surveillant. not not be fo eafily diftinguifhed: I therefore gave way to the pleafing idea that he was a privateer, carrying 20 nine-pounders, whom I had intelligence was cruizing off here, and inftantly refolved either to bring her to action, or oblige her to quit the coaft; for which purpose we gave chafe, but were prevented continuing it long, by her edging down, feemingly determined to engage us. Confcious of her fuperiority in failing and force, this manœuvre coincided with my wishes. I caufed the Savage to lay by, till we perceived, on her nearer approach, the was far fuperior to what we imagined, and that it was neceffary to attempt making our escape, without fome fortunate fhot, in the course of a running fight (which we faw inevitable), admitted our taking advantages, and bringing on a more equal conflict. At half paft ten fhe began firing her bow chafers, and at eleven, being clofe on our quarter, the action commenced with mufquetry, which after a good deal of execution, was followed by a heavy cannonade on both fides. In an hour's time I had the mortification to fee our braces and bowlings fhot away, and not a rope left to trim the fail with, notwithstanding every precaution had been taken: however, our fire was fo conftant and well-directed, that the enemy did not fee our fituation, but kept along fide of us, till accident obliged him to drop aftern. The Savage was now almost a wreck; her fails, rigging, and yards, fo much cut, that it was with the atmoft difficulty we could alter our pofition time enough to avoid being raked, the enemy lying directly or athwart our ftern for fome minutes. This was the only intermiffion of great guns, but mufquetry and piftols ftill did execution, and continued till they opened again, which was not till both fhips were almost on board each other, when the battle became more furious than before. Our quarter-deck and forecastle were foon now nearly cleared, fcarce a man belonging to either not being killed wounded, with three guns on our main deck rendered ufelefs. In this fituation, we fought near an hour, with only five fix-pounders, the fire from each fhip's guns fcorching the men who opposed them, thot and other implements of war. thrown by hand doing execution; when our mizen-mast being fhot away by the board; our main-maft tottering, with only three fhrouds ftanding; the fhip on fire dangeroufly; only 40 men on duty to oppofe the foe, who was attempting to board us in three places; no fuccour in fight, or poffibility of making further resistance; I was neceffitated, at a quarter before three, P. M. to furrender to the Congress, a private fhip of war, belonging to Philadelphia, who carried 215 men, and mounted 20 twelvepounders on her main-deck, and four fixes above, fourteen of which were fought on one fide. She loft during the action eleven men, and had near thirty wounded, feveral of them mortally; her mafts, her fails, and rigging, were fo much damaged, that he was obliged to return to port, which partly anfwered my wifhes prior to the action, as great part of the Carolina Trade was daily expected on on the coaft, and this privateer we faw failed remarkably faft. Three days were employed putting her in a condition to make fail, and five for the Savage, who was exceedingly fhattered. Indeed it is aftonishing more damage was not done, as the weather was fine, the water remarkably fmooth, and the fhips never thirty yards afunder. The courage, intrepidity, and good behaviour of the officers and fhip's company I had the honour to command, deserve the highest commendations, and my warmeft thanks. Lieutenant Shiels diftinguished himself by his gallantry, activity, and attention; as did Mr. Gyam the gunner. Mr. Wightman, the mafter, fell early in the action, by which I loft the affiftance of a good officer. The inferior officers behaved well in their refpective stations; and the men fought with a cool, determined valour, that will ever redound to their credit. I cannot conclude without obferving, that Captain Geddis and the officers of the Congrefs, after fighting us bravely, treated us when prisoners with great humanity. Inclofed is a return of the killed and wounded. I have the honour to be, &c. &c. CHARLES STIRLING. His Excellency Rear-Adm. Graves. A lift of the officers and men killed and wounded on board his majesty's Joop Savage, Sept. 6, 1781. Killed, mafter and 7 feamen: wounded, captain, lieutenant, 3 midshipmen, 21 feamen: to. tal 34. CHARLES STIRLING. Extract of a Letter form Vice Admiral Arbuthnot, to Mr. Stephens, dated Bedford, off Sandy Hook, July 4, 1781. I HAD the honour to mention, in my letter of this date, my intention of reporting fome particular circumftances refpecting the capture of the Atalanta; they are communicated in the inclosed paper. The Atalanta, with a gallantry that does her captain the highest honour, maintained the action fome time after the Trepaffeyftruck, until he was a wreck, in which state she was carried to Halifax. The behaviour of Lieutenant Samuel Arden, of the Atalanta was brilliant beyond expreffion : he loft his right arm in the fight, and, the inftant it was dreft, refumed his station on deck, where he remained until she ftruck, notwithstanding his weakness and lofs of blood. I doubt not, thefe matters will be thought entitled to their lord fhips confideration. Report of Mr. Philip Windfor, late Mafter of his majesty's Sloop the Trepaffey, in Halifax Harbour, June 11, 1781, viz. ON Sunday the 27th of May, 1781, being on a cruize with the Atalanta floop, by order from the commanding officer at St. John's, Newfoundland, in lat. 41. long. 61. W. faw a fail at three P. M. S. E. diftant 4 leagues; we bore up, and came within one league; finding her a large fhip, fuppofed her a two-decker, and night com |